Technology status of automatic fully-mechanized coal mining face in China was introduced, and fully-mechanized coal mining equipments were classified into production equipment, auxiliary equipment and monitoring and control system. In view of current confused naming situation of coal mining face in the industry, name of "automatic fully-mechanized coal mining face" was considered more appropriate. Technology of the automatic fully-mechanized coal mining face could be divided into four grades, namely partly automatic fully-mechanized coal mining face, semi-automatic fully-mechanized coal mining face, completely automatic fully-mechanized coal mining face and intelligently automatic fully-mechanized coal mining face, whose specific characteristics were given. Development approach of the automatic fully-mechanized coal mining face was introduced, and a view was pointed out it tally with actual situation better that considering automatic fully-mechanized coal mining face as a large machine which can automatically work, cut coal, support, load coal and transport coal.